Preparative reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography in the synthesis of viscosin, a cyclic depsipeptide

The importance of peptides in biochemical research and the facility with which they can be prepared by solid-phase techniques highlights the need for continuing research in the chromatographic purification of these molecules on a preparative scale. In this regard, synthesis of the cyclic depsipeptide antibiotic, viscosin, has provided the opportunity to demonstrate the use of radial compression cartridge technology in the reversed-phase purification of three key peptide intermediates on a scale of several hundred milligrams. Superior resolution of linear and cyclic peptide mixtures on a Bondapak C18 radial compression cartridge by using an aqueous acetonitrile solvent system containing 0.1% trifluoroacetic acid contributed significantly to the first total synthesis of viscosin, and demonstrates the applicability of this system to the purification of peptide mixtures.